Belgaum: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will be meeting a delegation from Belgaum at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.

The delegation, with members drawn from all the major political parties in the district, will include the former MP S.B. Sidnal; Ramesh L. Kudachi, MLA; the former Mayor Siddangouda Patil; and District Kannada Organisations Action Committee President Ashok Chandargi. Belgaum MP Suresh C. Angadi of the Bharatiya Janata Party will lead the delegation. However, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi will not be represented.

Sources said here on Tuesday that the meeting will be held in presence of senior government officials, including Secretaries of the Housing, Urban Development and Education departments, the Regional Commissioner for North Karnataka and the Belgaum Deputy Commissioner.

The delegation will draw the Government's attention to the general backwardness of this border district and also place specific issues and urge the Government to address them at the earliest.

The most urgent issues pertaining to Belgaum city are clearance for the Rs. 129-crore drinking water supply and underground drainage scheme, sanction of Rs. 44.25 crores for the construction of the ring road proposed by the Belgaum Urban Development Authority (BUDA) and distribution of housing sites through BUDA. The other major demand is the Kalasa Banduri Nala diversion scheme.

The delegation will also ask the Chief Minister to hold a session of the legislature once a year in Belgaum to discuss the development of border areas of the State in general and North Karnataka, including Hyderabad Karnataka, in particular.

The delegation will try to convince the Government to consider once again the demand for developing Belgaum as the second capital of the State. The city has vast potential for industrial and agricultural development, educational and health facilities, skilled manpower, a pleasant climate round the year, an airport that can be developed as an international one and scope for the development of eco-tourism.

Sources recalled that the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna had promised on more than one occasion to clear the Rs. 129-crore drinking water supply and underground drainage scheme for the city. But it is yet to be implemented.

Also, the Government has not allowed BUDA to distribute sites after 1994. The delay in distribution of sites is causing anxiety among applicants.

"We are going with hope. We have a young Chief Minister who appears to be result oriented; we will place our problems before him, and let us see his response," sources added.

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